Indicator card for bingo or lotto games



May 17, 1949. H HEYMAN 2,470,310 INDICATOR CARD FOR BINGO on LOTTO GAMES Filed June 8, 1946 EEC 1.

BY 5 Z g ATTORNEY Patented May 17, 1949 orricc 2,410,310 :mmmomcmmon BINGO on some @GAMES games;sucheasllotto acnumber atidentitying;v

characters or indices,z-suehiasmumbera arei;pre-cdetermined. If the game tea-limited Etc rserentyefive different .characters tthe mumerals J to conveniently may :be used which; zcharacterstare written or otherwiseltormeclton separate selectors;

such aspaperlor.cardhcardztickets onevemspher-' ical bodiesmne character-for each selector. The dealer or conductor.of theQgamadeaIsloutLtoithe: several players-one-or more cardsmearingzatnume' ber of these characters, each:.cardrhowevcr; pref-' erably'having a different group oficharactersacorresponding to some only.ofithaztotalnnnmber of characters so'that ,noatwo of the :cards ,areialike, andthen'at a given signalvthezdealerflonconductor blindly selects one: of -the:seleotors:andcontinues to select one after anotherrirom the supplymfa selectors; and informs'theeplayers oflthelcharacter by markers-,such as lthe-ticketsiorzspherlcaltbodies aforesaid, indicate :on their cardsrthei charactersso selected which correspond to ;characters LOH" their cards. The dealer continuesxto zselectxse In these c gamesgcpnsiderable difficulty 1 encountered to provide: t inexpensivse mean'si-'notiv only .for obtaining a fairselectton; abut azalso for.

recording the "characters as they ware selected:

Various expensive: and cumhersnmeilzmechanisms; have been devisedtolovercome thisadifliculty:

Among the: objects :of ithexpresent' inventionzit:

is aimed to provide an improved apparatuazsims ple in construction and :inexpensiveritozmanntacs ture-by meansofrwhichithe:selectorscan he-quicka ly and *fairly selected and in zturnuwhereby the: can The quickly recorded mot but. also :by z 'the. individual-t character selected only by the dealer, players.

These and other features, capabllitieszand tad-1 vantages of the present invention wlll'appear" from the subjoinedl detail description of one:spe'-- cific embodiment thereof illustrated i intthe ae-v companying drawings, in which' Fig. "1 is a perspective of amontahren by the dealer for selecting: theselehtnrs 'sandre cording the characters onzthe selectorsrselected. I

Fig. 2 is a "fragmentaL-section 'ontthe illne'i 2-1 2:

of Fig. 1.

iuseable "Fig.3 is a perspective orfa remoyablerreceiven for-the selectors selected:

Fig. 1.4 is an enlargedrfragmentalwsection mmthe line oiifiiawl.

erabtwthemockets-IG are arranged dnfive rows l.

1 allfixed tmoneanother,

25 v Fig. i5: sis .a transverse section :on the line 5- -5 of -h1g4.-

nFlQ- 6 {is :.a Eperspective .of a container useable by a playenforholding: a; group of. markers and inturnafor choldingaa replaceable card and t for:

receiving the :markers inralinement wither-in juxtaposition to the characters on the cardlcorrespondingnzto the-- characters of the selectors selected;

:7'is.--asectiomon-thedine ll of Fig.: 6.

In Figs. 1 to 5.there.is.-shown the containeror box I .136 usedhy-thedealer or-conductor: of the gamer This box 1 preferably ;ha;Si two side walls 2 311(; two end walls -4 and 5, and a [base-6, 'Atrthe adjacentrendsof thevpox .I ,"the:base6 in the present instance :is provided with :two cross pieces 1' 1 and :8 serving as: Supp0rtSffO1 th6b0X which:may have a cover of felt or the alike on the lower. face'thereof to protect'theatable-vztop -:or the like :on which the box may be placed-inithe courseof playing the game mhe i51de"Wa1lS 12' and :3 preferably are wide enough .to receive the; screws orpins '9 extending through thezslots lflwformed in the cover lplatel-l l. Thea-slots lllz extendrgparallel to the sidewalls 2 and: 3zandvxthe-spins :9 are provided with heads t2 tOLEIIChOI"Ibh-'Blt01)i1)1&t8 l- Ito the bOXil. By means otsthenpinsd ;an-d;slots 10, {the cover plate ll=is anchored".totthe upper edges of the side walls .2 and 3;. but'rslidably along' the :same. into the dot and da'shlposition 1M shown.in:Figs; 1-and12where theireariiend of'thescover plate I?! :clearsthe'wall la'and'alsozclears'suflicient space'between the wall l v handthezrear edge of the cover plate 1! so'that such ;asthe spherical :bodies 1 l3 may be I fromtimeato' markers, suppIiedItothe interior ofrthe box timerv The pins:.9 :cooperate with :the slots glfi to determine either the nearest ;position,.:shown;in full'flinesimt Eig.- =1, .or the'iolpen position deter.- mined byrthe riot andrdash; line position. I t aforesaid:

'Theztcover aplate 1H1 preferably'rhas 'a base: sheet li whiehiforms the bottom-orclosurefor the renumber: of. openings l d wil1'berdetermined by the numberlofrcharacters toibe selected; If there are seventy-five characters: in number, then asan instance, as shownpthere' may be1fivte rows of recesseszor-openings it;

Each 'ofztheopenings l6 ismarked with a characteni If the characters selected are numerals; then the characters willzconsisttof the numerals 1 $0175; and the inumerals will be formed .on the basersheet fi on thebottom ofzthe recesses vl6 legible do the-- dealer when looking down on the covergplate A l;

.In order tolaid-thetdealer in-selectingthe-pocket oriopeningclfi tor the particular marker l3, pref! openingssl 6;. in the cover plate 1H .Ihe.

of fifteen each, the first row at the left reading from 1 to 15, the second row reading from 16 to 30, the third row reading from 31 to 45, the fourth row reading from 46 to 60, and the =fifth row reading from 61 to 75. Preferably also, the markers I3 corresponding to the integers or numerals in the five rows are distinguished from one another by color. Thus the markers I3 bearing the numerals 1 to in the present instance are white in color, the markers I3 bearing the numerals 16 to 30 are red in color, the markers I3 bearing the numerals 31 to 45 are green in color, the markers I3 bearing the numerals 46 to 60 are yellow in color, and the markers I3 bearing the numerals 61 to '75 are blue in color. Furthermore, the space I1 at the head of the five rows of pockets I6 has the notations W," R, G, Y" and B," for the colors White, red, green, yellow and blue, respectively, corresponding to the colors of the markers bearing numerals corresponding to numerals in the several rows of pockets.

In Fig. 1, as an instance, the marker I3 bearing the numeral 44 is in the second pocket from the bottom of the third row, and the marker bearing the numeral 6 is in the receiver I 8.

The selection of a marker is made by the mechanism now to be described. The box I preferably has a funnel forming base plate I9 consisting of two sections 20 and 2I forming a dihedral angle with one another and inclining downwardly as they approach the middle of the box, see Fig. 5, and which together incline downwardly as they approach the front end of the box I.

Along the inner face of the front Wall 5 there are formed the blocks 22 and 23 having rear converging faces 24 and 25 merging into the block 26 having a downwardly and forwardly inclined face 21, all cooperating with the sections 20 and 2I to guide the spherical markers I3 forwardly into the recess 28 in the slide 29. The slide 29 has a base plate 36 includin a rear extension 3I and an enlarged front portion 32 provided with side walls 33 and 34 and a front wall 35, the front wall 35 engaging the front face of the front wall 3 and constituting a stop for the rearward movement of the slide 29. The extension 3| of the plate 39 has a pin 36 extending upwardly therefrom to which is connected the spring 31 at its front end, the rear end of the spring 31 being connected to the pin 38 extending upwardly from the block 39 on which the slide 29 is slidably mounted the spring 31 resiliently urging the slide rearwardly so that its front wall 35 engages the front face of the front wall 5. The enlarged portion 32 of the plate 30 is slidable into the enlarged openin 49 formed at the front adjacent ends of the sections 20 and 2|. This opening 40 in turn has a narrow rear slot 4| formed in the sections 20 and 2I to clear the pin 36. its forward position, there is provided the pin 42 extending from the section 20 to the section 2| at the front end of the slot III.

Preferably the wall 35 has a handle or finger piece 43 formed on the front end thereof to be grasped by the dealer or conductor of the game-- After a spherical marker is received in the recess 28 in the slide 29, and the slide 29 is moved outwardly into the dash and dot line position shown in Fig. 4, it draws with it a spherical body which may then drop from the slide 29 either into the hand of the operator or into the receiver I 8. The receiver I8 in the present instance, seeFig. 3, has the three sided wall 44 Preferably to limit the pin 36 in extending upwardly from the plate 45, which in turn has a wide rear portion 46 to be moved into the recess 41 formed in the cross piece 8. This receiver I8 is removable and when the game is not in use may be removed from the cross piece 8. Preferably the extension 46 has a snug or friction fit in the recess 41 of the cross piece 8, although obviously other temporary anchoring means may be provided for temporarily securing the receiver I8 to the cross piece 8.

As aforesaid, with the game of lotto, the dealer or conductor of the game deals out to the players a card or cards bearing a group of numbers, the several cards being different from one another. These cards may have any number of integers or numbers less than seventy-five if the total number of selectors bear the numbers 1 to 75. In the present instance, see the card 48, the cards are provided with twenty-five integers or numbers arranged in five rows, five integers or numbers to a row.- Preferably the card 48 has a finger tab 49 to facilitate moving a card 48 into and out of a recess 59 formed in a casing or container 5I. This container preferably has four side walls 52 secured to the imperforate top sheet 53, which top sheet 53 forms the lower support for the card 48, the card being disposed between the support or sheet 53 and the support or sheet 54 which is provided with a series of openings 55 positioned to register with the numerals 56 on the card 48, there being five rows of openings 55 with five openings to each row. Preferably, see Fig. 6, the upper area 51 of the sheet 54 is provided with indicia such as the letters W, R, G, Y and B illustrated in Fig. 6, correspondin to the indicia in the area I1 of the box I, the letter W being disposed above the first row of openings 55, and the letters R, G, Y and B being disposed above the second, third, fourth and fifth rows of openings 55, respectively. On the card 48 the first row of numerals 56 to the left will then only bear the numerals 1 to 15, inclusive, the second row, 16 to 30, inclusive, the third row 30 to 45, inclusive, the fourth row, 46 to 60, inclusive, and the fifth row, 61 to 75, inclusive.

Preferably inside of the box 5| there is telescopically received a second box 58 in which, for convenience, may be housed the spherical bodies 59. These spherical bodies 59 may either be all of the same color or arranged in the five colors, white, red, green, yellow and blue, that is, five spherical bodies 59 colored white, five colored red and so on. When the game is not in use, the spherical bodies I3 -may all for convenience be disposed in the box I with the cover II formed in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the receiver I3 removed, the cards 48 removed from the boxes 5|, and the spherical bodies 59 of each set of boxes 5I and 58 disposed in its box 59 with the box 5I serving as a cover as shown in Fig. 7. The diameters of the openings 55 are preferably, as shown, less in diameter than the diameters of the great circles of the spherical bodies 59, see Fig. 5, so that the spherical bodies 59 may rest on the edges of the plate or sheet 54 surrounding the openings 55, forming seats for the spherical bodies 59, and thus clear the face of the card 48 positionedin the pocket or recess 50 of the box 5I. In this way a spherical body 59 when seated in a recess 55 will effectively and completely conceal and cover up the integer on the card 48 registering with the particular recess 55.

When the game is to be used, however, the receiver I8 will first be moved into cooperation with the recess 41 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the cards 48 distributed to the several players, and each player will insert the card received by him in the recess 50 of his box cover 5|. Then he can remove the lower box portion 58 with the spherical bodies 59 and is ready for play. The dealer will then preferably shake the box I so as properly to shuttle the spherical bodies I3 in the box I, and then upon a given signal he will engage the handle 43 and draw out the slide 29 above the receiver I8 until the recess clears the front wall 5 of the box I, and is in position to allow a spherical body I3 to drop through the recess 28 into the receiver I8. Upon releasing the handle 43, the spring 31 will retract the slide 28 into the closed position shown in Fig. 2, and while moving into closed position the pin 36 will agitate the spherical bodies I3 adjacent to the same and allow a second spherical body to drop into the cup formed by the walls 33, 34 and 35 and drop onto the recessed face 60 of the block 39, when such spherical body I3 will be ready to be moved out of the box I, the lower end of the block 26 being spaced from the face 80 just sufficient to clear a single spherical body I3, the distance from the lower end of the block 26 to the face 60 being just slightly in excess of the diameter of a spherical body I3. In this way the block 28 cooperates with the face 60, the slide 29 and the size of the opening 40, to isolate the spherical body I3 which has dropped into the recess 28.

If the number on the spherical body I3 thus selected by the slide 29 is six, the dealer will call out the number six and then the player who has number six on his card 48 will place a spherical body 59 in the opening 55 registering with the numeral six on the card 48. The dealer in turn will take the spherical body I3 and place it in the opening I6 in the cover I I registering with the numeral 6 on the base sheet I5. The dealer will then continue to draw spherical bodies I3 from the box I until all of the numerals on one of the cards 48 of a player have been filled. Of course, the game can also be played similar to bingo in which case the winner will be determined by the player who first can cover a straight row of openings 55. Either a complete row of five openings 55 in the range between 1 and 15 in alinement with the W indicia, or any one of the rows parallel to this one, or any complete transverse row, or one of the two diagonal rows might be selected as determining the winner, should he be first to complete such selected row of openings.

By the means here disclosed, in the first place the dealer can not see the selector I3 selected before it has been selected, and dropped into the receiver I8. In the next place, since all of the spherical bodies I3 that are drawn by the dealer will be placed on the cover II, the dealer or conductor of the game can quickly determine whether or not the player has marked his card correctly. In other words, the winning group of recesses I6 covered with spherical bodies I3 must correspond to the winning group of openings 55 covered by the player on his box 51.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game such as bingo where there are provided a plurality of cards each having a different group or arrangement of integers thereon selected from a larger predetermined number of integers, wherein each player receives one of said cards, wherein a dealer calls a succession of integers from said larger predetermined number of integers, wherein the players cover the integers called which integers happen to appear on their respective cards, and where the winner is determined by the player who is first to cover a predetermined number or arrangement of integers which have been called, characterized by the combination of a casing having a first support including a plate having a plurality of circular recesses, a second support in said casing below said plate and spaced therefrom to form a pocket, a dealt imperforate card having a predetermined group of integers impressed thereon in position to aline with the recesses in said plate when the card is positioned in said pocket, the recesses and integers being arranged in a plurality of rows, a plurality of groups of spherical bodies, one group for each row of recesses, the groups being optically distinguishable from one another, the edges of the plate surrounding the recesses being less in diameter than the diameters of the great circles of said spherical bodies to form seats for said spherical bodies in turn to receive and support said spherical bodies effectively and completely to cover the integers appearing on the dealt card which integers have been called by the dealer, and notations impressed on said plate, one notation at the top of each row of recesses to indicate the group of spherical bodies to be received in such row.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the recesses are arranged in five rows with five recesses in each row, in which the spherical bodies are twenty-five in number and arranged in five groups, each group having a different color to be optically distinguishable from one another, and the color notations at the top of the rows of recesses on said plate are five in number and correspond to and indicate the group of spherical bodies according to color to be received in the particular rows.

HERMAN HEYMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 32,581 Nelson June 18, 1861 847,570 Granger Mar. 19, 1907 1,114,267 Jones Oct. 20, 1914 1,487,734 Fay Mar. 25, 1924 1,494,876 Zander May 20, 1924 1,655,380 Parker Jan. 3, 1928 1,760,642 Graham May 27, 1930 1,876,128 Almada Sept. 6, 1932 2,003,979 Skoric June 14, 1935 2,309,494 Berg Jan. 26, 1940. 2,315,872 Peshal Apr. 6, 1943 2,408,270 Rebholz Sept. 24, 1946 

